IQOS – an alternative to continued smoking, will be available for purchase on the Georgian market as of July 27, 2020.
Despite the global efforts to encourage people to quit smoking and prevent initiation, there are still 1.1 billion smokers on the planet, and the World Health Organization predicts that there will still be more than 1 billion people who smoke in 2025.
These people deserve a pragmatic approach and a sensible solution that moves them away from cigarettes. Today, this solution exists. The vast majority of harmful compounds found in cigarette smoke and associated with smoking-related diseases are generated by combustion. Products that eliminate combustion, such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, are an alternative to smoking. Harnessing science and technological innovation like e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products reduce the harm caused by cigarette smoking is the public health opportunity of this century.
On July 7, 2020 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the marketing of electronically heated tobacco system, IQOS, as a modified risk tobacco product (MRTP).
“The FDA’s decision provides an important example of how governments and public health organizations can regulate smoke-free alternatives to differentiate them from cigarettes in order to promote the public health. We have a bold ambition: We want cigarettes to be replaced by sciencebased smoke-free products as soon as possible.’ – said Yuri Gordok, General Manager PM Caucasus and Moldova.
We are bringing smoke-free products to the market, hoping that Georgia will follow the track of some countries in the EU by establishing taxation and regulation which encourage smokers who do not quit to switch”. – added Gordok.
Launching IQOS on the Georgian market will bring benefits to the Georgian economy, as the initiative includes creating new jobs and significant investment in infrastructure. According to Yuri Gordok: “IQOS launch in Georgia will also allow consumers to receive information about new products while strictly prohibiting false or misleading statements.”
About IQOS:
IQOS is a device created by Philip Morris International. IQOS represents the alternative to traditional smoking for adult smokers, who would otherwise continue smoking.
About Philip Morris Georgia:
Philip Morris Georgia LLC is an affiliate of Philip Morris International Inc. (PMI) with more than 100 employees and business partners working over the country.
Philip Morris International
Philip Morris International (PMI) is leading a transformation in the tobacco industry to ultimately replace cigarettes with smoke-free products. PMI is a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes, as well as smoke-free products and associated electronic devices and accessories, and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States. In addition, PMI ships a version of its IQOS Platform 1 device and its consumables authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to Altria Group, Inc. for sale in the U.S. under license.
PMI’s smoke-free product portfolio includes heat-not-burn and nicotine-containing vapor products. As of June 30, 2020, PMI estimates that approximately 11.2 million adult smokers around the world have already stopped smoking and switched to PMI’s heat-not-burn product, available for sale in 57 markets in key cities or nationwide.
For more information, please visit www.pmi.com and www.pmiscience.com.
